Culture and Library Commission Meeting - June 17, 2025

The Culture and Library Commission convened with Vice Chair Miller presiding. The primary focus was a detailed staff report on the city's newly adopted budget and its significant impact on library services and the commission's public art funding. The meeting also included reports on successful community events and future program ideas.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the May 20, 2025, meeting.

Staff Report & Announcements

• Comedy Festival: Staff announced a three-show comedy festival scheduled for the weekend of June 20-21 at various venues.
• Budget Presentation: The Library Services Manager presented a detailed analysis of the city's FY26-27 budget, which was adopted by the city council. Key points included:
  • The city is addressing a structural deficit by mandating deep cuts to reduce reliance on its fund balance.
  • The library department's required cuts are $553,165 for FY26 and $365,505 for FY27, affecting staffing, supplies, and services.
  • Commission Budget Cut: The line item for public art (the commission's budget) was reduced from $75,000 to $50,000 annually.
• Commissioner Discussion: Commissioners engaged in a lengthy discussion with staff about the budget context:
  • Staff Position: The Library Services Manager emphasized that the presented cuts were real and impacted service delivery areas like the book budget.
  • Commissioner Cassidy's Position: Commissioner Cassidy argued that while specific items were cut, the overall library budget increased due to council-approved salary and benefit increases. They expressed disappointment that the commission's budget was cut by one-third, stating it was already an insufficient amount that had never been adjusted for inflation. They characterized the arts as being on a trajectory to be "defunded" and not valued enough compared to other city expenditures.
  • Staff Rebuttal: The Library Services Manager reiterated the accuracy of the reported cuts and clarified that the council made separate decisions on compensation increases. They stated the goal was to show the commission that cuts to public art were commensurate with cuts across the library budget.

Commission Reports & Announcements

• Game of Shrooms Event: Chair Scotland reported on the successful "Game of Shrooms" community art hunt held at the library, which had strong turnout and positive community engagement. The event is planned to be annual.
• Future Program Ideas: Commissioners discussed potential future initiatives:
  • Reaching out to the "East Bay Yesterday" podcast to explore San Leandro history.
  • Investigating the possibility of hosting a "Home Movie Day" event for the public to share and preserve local film history.
• Grants Committee: The manager will check in with current grantees on their progress. The commission plans to discuss grant program priorities and timelines for the next fiscal year at a future meeting to better utilize funds.

Key Outcomes

• The commission accepted the staff budget report.
• No formal action items were voted on.
• The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.